Fates Linked by Blood
by Kirayume
Summary: AU. After the war, hunters rule supreme over the lands. The vampires are now no more than slaves to the hunters, serving in cathouses and bars. Every day is a living Hell for Kaname until he meets a certain someone... WARNING: Contains yaoi ZxK


Snowflakes swirled down from the sky, becoming one with the stone paved ground as the biting winter night set in. Small oil lamps rested atop metal pillars dotted along the road, giving off small patches of light. The scent blood still lingered in the air, reminiscent of the bloody war that happened almost a decade ago.

This was a part of the hunters' territory, but was still considered one of the smaller, less developed townships. Although the citizens tried to create the mask of a richer place, people from the larger cities still called the area by 'ketsueki chiku' instead of by its original name, which also reminded everyone who were kept as slaves in the bars and stores. The area was mainly a collection of flashy, too-over-the-top stores in the town center surrounded with rundown buildings.

Long before the war, hunter cities (if they could be called so) were few and widely spread out, making travel between any difficult. Afterwards, however, they grew and appeared like wildfire and took over many vampire estates of old, plundering the homes of antiques and other valuables.

A bell hanging from the door tinkled as a silver haired hunter from the well-known Kiryuu bloodline walked into the bar, tossing a few coins onto the counter.

"The usual, is it, Kiryuu-senpai?" The small waitress behind the counter smiled cheerfully despite the hour it was, her eyes sparkling.

Zero nodded, his eyes roving around the dimly lit room, golden light emanating from glass chandeliers suspended by a thin wire. He noticed a boy sitting in the window of the conjoined cathouse, appearing no older than he was, perhaps even younger, shorter and much more delicately built. Behind was a line of more completely gorgeous people chained in the same way. Zero noticed there were girls in the group as well, their naughty parts concealed by small strips of leather. They possessed the same striking beauty as the males, albeit in a softer, more alluring tone.

The waitress handed the hunter his drink with another wide smile then slithered away to another corner of the bar. He could see shadows moving in the cathouse next door. Zero suppressed an urge to retch and quickly emptied his glass in an attempt to keep his afternoon snack down. He had never been to the cathouse since he first started going to the bar after his evening shift at the Association.

The tinkling of the bell announced the arrival of another customer. This one was yet another hunter, wearing a wide brimmed hat and a gun slung across his back.

"Yo Kiryuu-kun. Never thought I'd find you here."

"Well the evening shifts are always tiring and all so… what brings you here, shishou? I thought you didn't like these places."

"I came by to visit the cathouse next door. Heard it was great- the vampires apparently really know how to please their customers. It's the most popular place in town. You get to choose your own pet for the night at a reasonable price."

Zero just nodded mutely, still thinking about the chained ones in the window.

"You shouldn't pity them if that's what you're thinking about. Vampires are just creatures, devoid of any emotion, taking on a human appearance only to make their prey easier to feed on. So you can make them feel all the pain they deserve. I'll meet you back here tomorrow if you want, then you can have a go."

Pale yellow streaks of sun cast light on the maze of bleak, narrow alleys. Many shops had finished business, leaving mostly the taverns near the borders of the town. A thick layer of white had obscured much of the town, leaving only patches of grey. Zero's lavender eyes scanned the half-deserted streets, thoroughly aware of the dangers of being outside at dusk. A chilly draught of wind sent shivers up his spine. He was mentally cursing the elder hunter for being tardy.

A hand ruffled Zero's hair from behind.

"Hey."

"You know, you should stop touching me." A hint of irritation crept into Zero's voice.

The other hunter simply lifted his hand and leaned against a pillar nearby.

"So, you ready? I'll give you a tip- always come early, before others exhaust them, like if you come later on at night."

Zero peered through the half-misted glass panes of the window. More than a dozen vampires were chained to hooks embedded in the wooden planks of the stage. They were all dressed in a similar fashion, although some were more revealing than others. The gold-edged revolving door spun around aimlessly as a plump, slightly more than middle-aged woman with a cheerful smile hung a sign next to it.

YES, WE ARE OPEN.

Yagari waved, then disappeared down the hallway. Zero paused, hesitating, not sure if he wanted to. Somewhere, in the bottom of his heart, he felt sorry for them, but he also remembered the words etched into his mind by years of training from his master and his parents.

The shadows in the hallway seemed to swallow him as he walked towards the reception counter. The same lady from before looked up from her mug of tea, fished under the counter for a pen and gestured for him to fill out a form.

"First time here, right? Well I can help you choose one if you're not certain."

Zero motioned towards a rather small vampire with brown hair that fell around his neck.

"Excellent choice, sir. I'll fetch him for you. And also, he has just had his fangs taken out this morning, so the mouth should be the most appropriate place- still tender and raw." A cheesy smile plastered itself on her face.

He pushed the form aside and looked around the brightly lit room. The clinking of chains made him turn. The vampire he had chosen from the window was being pulled along by a silver chain attached to a thick leather collar. A pair of black rabbit ears adorned his brunette hair, while a poufy rabbit's tail sat just above his tailbone. Some of him was covered by cloth, wrapped in a similar fashion to bandages, but the rest was bare. Decorated leather bracers tied his wrists together, but were promptly removed by the lady with a key she procured out of nowhere.

She pressed the end of the chain into Zero's palm and moved away to display her sickening welcome to yet another customer. The vampire stared up at Zero submissively, waiting for an order.

Awkward seconds elapsed before the lady shot the vampire and impatient look and flapped her hand. He bowed and tugged gently at the chain in Zero's hand, leading him upstairs and into a lavishly furnished room. A massive chandelier hung from the ceiling, giving the room a warm yellow glow. Ancient paintings covered much of the walls, the once vivid colour beginning to take on the toll of time. Zero started to wonder whether the room's furniture had been taken from one of the vampires' mansions.

The brunette motioned towards a four-poster bed that was partially obscured by a curtain of deep red velvet. Zero payed no attention, as he was lost in the detail of a particularly beautiful painting. He felt a hand tug at his shirt and looked down at the vampire who had, by now, undressed, save for the 'accessories' he still wore.

Zero sat on the bed and let his eyes rove over the vampire's body, taking in the sight of bruises on his back and legs and scrapes that dotted his pale skin.

"I uh, like your eyes. They're very pretty."

The brunette said nothing and simply lowered his gaze to the carpeted floor. Zero paused, suddenly unsure whether his casual comment had offended the vampire.

"You can reply, if that's what you're worried about."

A pair of entrancing eyes flicked upwards from the floor, stealing a glance at the hunter.

"Thank you my Lord, you are too kind. They are a trait of the Kuran bloodline."

He bit his lip as the last few words tumbled out, anticipating the blow he would receive for talking too much. Instead, he noticed the hunter shift slightly out of the corner of his eyes.

'_So he's a Kuran pureblood. I never would have thought of that just by sight.'_ Zero tried to hide his surprise by coughing into his hand.

"I expected that all purebloods were slaves serving in private houses nowadays."

"I…. I wasn't as lucky…" Tears misted the vampire's red-brown irises.

"Oh… I'm sorry…."

"No, you need not apologise my Lord. It is I who should apologise for delaying your experience here."

"It's fine, I don't mind. Um… do you have a name?"

"No, I don't have one. We are merely slaves for your pleasure, my Lord."

"Everyone has a name and I would like to know yours."

"I do not have the right to be named. I am a slave for your pleasure."

"I get it but you must have one! You are, by your looks, older than the war, so you must have a name."

"If you must know, my Lord, my name is Kuran Kaname."


End file.
